Archives for November 2011

When we moved house, I didn’t have time to *slowly and carefully* sort through all my stuff, and pack it all up in an efficient manner. I literally had to grab my bathroom drawers, tip all the contents into a box, seal and label it, and pile the boxes into the back of a truck!

So I approach this subject with much embarrassment… 8 months later, I still have many unopened boxes of shit stacked up in my shed.

The other day however, I managed to sort through all my makeup and skin care products.

There was actually a lot more stuff that I didn’t photograph, because they went straight into a rubbish bag.

I did a Google search on when to throw away your makeup and skin care products and created a summary to share. Behold!

Nail polish: One year
Makeup sponges: Wash after each use, and throw away after 2 weeks
Body sponges: 6-8 weeks

All makeup and skincare products have this little symbol that tells you how long it will keep, with 3M, 6M, 12M, 18M etc. (M being months).

Needless to say, I was a little shocked, and a little grumpy. Firstly, because I tend to use my expensive products very sparingly (especially the stupidly expensive stuff!!). And secondly, the expiry dates all make sense and I always *knew* that you shouldn’t keep your products for too long.

I also discovered some interesting points…
– Products that have fatty acids go off quicker, dry products can last several years.
– Wet products (like lip gloss, mascara, liquid foundations) can harbour a LOT of bacteria!
– You shouldn’t mix water with your products (like shampoo) because it messes with the balance of preservatives
– 3-in-1 products for (lips, face and eyes) are a great way to spread bacteria all over your face. Clean the tips before using on different areas.
– Wash cloths and sponges can harbour bacteria and mould, you can microwave them for 3 minutes to disinfect it.

I’ve been feeling quite adventurous lately. Quite possibly it is the change in weather, stirring me to get out and have a bit of fun. I love the way it has made me more adventurous towards what I put on in the mornings.

The other day I threw together… a bit of yellow, with a bit of green, tossed with some pattern clashing, and a vintage belt. I loved it! It totally matched my mood.

But can you imagine? My very own Ironing Man. Someone to keep me company as I go through the hellish drudgery that is ironing.

Heck I might even start ironing my bed sheets!

Apparently Mr Naked Iron Man is soft to touch, super strong so he will hold any weight you lay on him, and he’s made of heat-sensitive ink so the more you heat him up the more he will “reveal”. It certainly brings a whole new meaning to “hot and steamy” housework.

One of my blog sponsors, Nuffnang, asked me whether I would like to write a post and review a product from Invisible Zinc, I said I would love to – and I almost said, “Don’t bother sending me any products, because I already have several products at home that I use.”

There ain’t no need to preach to the converted. I adore my Invisible Zinc products!

I wear suncream everyday. On my face, my neck and chest, my shoulders, arms and hands. However, I always forget to put suncream on my feet whenever I wear sandals, and end up with stripy feet by the end of summer. Very trendy, not!

I also always try to wear a big hat, sunglasses, and a shirt to cover my shoulders too (but in this photo above I was just about to have a swim).

I don’t exactly work 7 full hours in the sun. Yet I am outside everyday – cycling, jogging, walking, doing the school run, driving in a car, standing around in play grounds. It’s just moderate sun exposure, nevertheless I still believe in wearing nothing less than SPF 30+.

I’ve been on a looong journey to find a SPF 30+ suncream that applies nicely, feels great on and is affordable.

All Invisible Zinc products are made from a naturally derived mineral reflector, Zinc Oxide, and it creates a physical barrier (instead of a chemical absorber) to protect your skin against UVA and UVB rays.

There is no titanium dioxide, no parabens, no chemical SPF active ingredients and it’s sensitive skin friendly.

The ESP Moisturiser has a really nice, light texture. It is not thick at all. It doesn’t make your skin go all white, greasy and gluggy. And after you put it on, your skin feels smooth and matt.

Oh and the micro-fine particles are also said to help to reduce the appearance of fine lines, and to give your skin a smooth texture. It’s pretty awesome!

I also adore the Tinted Daywear, which is a mineral makeup with 3 in 1 moisturiser, zinc sunscreen and sheer foundation.

Liam is 2 years and 8 months old now… but I have to admit, most times I think of him as a 4 year old.

He is definitely a lot more “grown up” than my other children, when they were this age. And because he is the youngest of 3 kids, it astounds me how much more he has been exposed to.

This kid collects money, he loves watching Batman and Star Wars cartoons, he owns a stack of Ben 10 trading cards, he is obsessed with fart jokes, and he swears under his breath. His eyes sparkle when you talk about computer games, and he will talk back at you – non-stop – about every single wii game that we have on our shelf.

It makes me feel a bit sad sometimes, that maybe he’s missed out on an “idyllic and innocent moment in childhood” where kids entertained themselves with simple things like cardboard boxes.

But I guess that’s the magic of having multiple children – discovering how different they all are, and discovering how you can love them all with the same intensity.

This photo just floors me. Within his features, I can see hints of him as a young man. You can stare at his eyes and get lost forever – did I really create him? Is he really made from half of me?

Liam is timid and mild-mannered when he’s with strangers, but he’s bold, reckless and loud when he’s with his brothers.

I can have long conversations with him, I can reason with him, he can tell jokes and make me laugh, and we can read stories together. He’s so expressive and adorable with his words and speech – he’s at a wonderful age.

On the downside, he can be a hell of a whinger. If he wants something, he nags and nags and nags in that high pitchy irritating whiney way, clings to my legs, and makes his body floppy and lies on the floor whining, until I send him to his room.

And currently, sending him to his room, is enough of a time-out for him to change his behaviour.

Last year he had quite a strong “fussy” personality, where he was very (VERY!) particular about dirt, sand, colours of objects and other little things. He was annoyingly high-maintenance.

But now, he’s pretty easy-going. As long as I explain what is happening or about to happen, he doesn’t freak out or complain. He’s pretty sensible!

Liam is almost potty trained. He doesn’t need to drink any milk before his sleep. He doesn’t have a favourite blankie or toy. He does suck his thumb though. He has a 1 hour nap, once a day. He sleeps 12 hours straight through the night.

He is a very un-adventurous eater. He doesn’t like to try new foods. He loves fried kway teow and that’s about it.

Oh and he still loves pink things.

My other two boys are 8.5 and 6.5 years old. All three of them play and get along very well… and they fight and argue all the same. They ALL like the same things – cycling, balls, skateboards, sand, beach, computer games, art+craft, reading, boy movies – which makes it really easy to entertain them at the same time.

As much as I grizzle about them all the time – they really are great kids, and I’m real proud of them.

As you can probably tell, things are peachy at the moment. Being a mum is a walk in the park. And I’m absolutely loving life right now.

My husband and I go out for a “no kids” date night on a weekly basis, and usually we try to do something a little different every week.

This evening, we went to test the legendary reputation of Sparrow Indonesian Takeaway, in Highgate. It was originally located in Northbridge for many, many years, and is still run by the same owners.

We decided to eat there because so many people recommended it to us, and it is constantly listed in Perth’s Top Meals under $20 or something like that.

But, a lot of women in my family make damn fine Indonesian/Malay style food, so I have pretty demanding standards.

As you can see, it is a little “cheap and cheerful” establishment, with only 8 small tables inside. The big, generic, red and green letters on the glass, and the security mesh, really say it all. This place seems to spend very little on presentation.

Inside, the impression of low-glamour functionality was reinforced. But it was super clean and the place was almost full of people on a Wednesday night.

The owner met us with a huge Indonesian smile and showed us to a plastic table with an excellent view of the opened fuse box for the power supply. There was a steady stream of locals getting takeaway – a good sign.

So this is what we ordered. 1 Beef rendang, 1 Balinese chicken curry, 2 plates of yellow rice = all for $17.10.

Yes, that’s right…seventeen dollars. For TWO mains AND two serves of rice.

And my verdict?

This is the smile of total satisfaction + embarrassment + resignation. (Note the fuse box in the background!)

It was really, reeeeeally yummy. The curries were saturated with flavour, the meats were both so tender and juicy and fell apart at the poke of a fork, the rice was perfect and fragrant, and my tummy was very satisfied indeed.